Chapter 48

In that moment, all the little clues finally clicked—his wife lived in that complex, and so did Alice. That time at his grandfather’s villa gate, the person he ran into? Also Alice. He’d been convinced they were two different people. The truth? They’d been the same all along. Which meant... he’d gotten everything wrong. "Yes, Emily is Alice," Mr. Hawthorne said, his tone utterly deflated, disappointment written all over his face. "I really thought maybe this marriage still had a shot, that you two could fix it. But now... it’s pointless. Maybe you two were never meant to be." Two years into the marriage, and Edward still didn’t really know his own wife—didn't even recognize her name or face properly. No emotional base. Zero trust. How could any marriage survive that? Mr. Hawthorne sighed quietly, finally accepting the truth. "Since that’s the case, end it on good terms. I won’t stand in your way anymore." "Grandpa, I’ve changed my mind. I’m not going through with the divorce." "Fine, d